When My Voice Reaches Him
by frozen-eclipse
Summary: What if Claus was the protagonist instead? What if Lucas fell victim to the tragedy? How would things change? Chapter 4 added, and all old chapters rewritten, with 90% less terrible writing!
1. Chapter 1: Laughter

The sun had been up for thirty whole minutes- an eternity to Claus. If his younger twin Lucas didn't wake up soon, it'd be his own fault if he missed the baby Drago. He banged on the door, trying not to whine and yelled, "Lucas! Wake up already! Dragos don't come here every day you know! If you don't wake up, I'm taking them far away from here!"

Perhaps Lucas did deserve to sleep in, Claus thought. He had exhausted himself yesterday trying to get the perfect sunflowers for their Mom. Yet, at the same time, if he helped Dad with the farm work instead of following Mom around like a duck, he'd have more endurance and maybe wake up already! Running down the stairs, Claus whined to his mother, "Mom, Lucas won't wake up and he needs to see the Dragos and he'll miss it and-" but Claus was cut off by his stomach growling.

"Oh Claus", his mother giggled. As she smiled at him, she cooed, "that's why you shouldn't skip breakfast. Have some nut bread and play with the Dragos. Don't worry, I'll wake Lucas up if he sleeps in." Claus took the nut bread and sighed. It could take forever, he thought. His parents had worried about Lucas' wimpiness from time to time, so maybe Mom would keep to her word he silently hoped. Lucas would become tougher if they didn't spoil him after all.

Claus began to play with the Dragos once more. As he rammed into the Mama-Drago he heard a shout in the distance.

"Claus! I'm so sorry I took so long!" Lucas said as he ran to his older brother. Claus smiled, realizing his younger brother may have actually woken up on his own.

"You're finally here, Lucas!" He exclaimed, stopping to take a breath. "I wish you had gotten here sooner. Anyway, I've been play-fighting with the Dragos since this morning. C'mon, give it a try!" He moved off to the side to clear room for Lucas. However, Lucas already seemed scared at the thought, shaking his head slightly. "Come on! The Dragos want you to!" Claus said, pushing Lucas forward a bit.

"Um... um, I dunno, that seems really mean and..."

"But they like it!"

"I don't think it's a good idea. I-I mean it doesn't seem right!"

"Don't be a chicken! The Dragos love it, the harder you run into them, the better!" Claus finally pushed the right buttons. Lucas threw himself at the Mama-Drago, however, at a horrible angle, resulting in Mama-Drago falling on him. Lucas crawled out, sobbing hysterically.

Claus became uncomfortable, unsure what to do. As he inched slowly towards his injured brother, he murmured, "Lucas, don't cry..."

"W-Why..." he let out a sniffle and a hiccup. "Did you make me do that...?" Lucas cuddled the baby Drago which had sensed Lucas' pain, licking him gently.

"I-I didn't think you'd run at it like that! You're supposed to.. to... run straight on..."

Suddenly, the baby Drago let out a howl of pain, catching Lucas's attention.

"What's wrong?" Lucas asked it, suddenly alert. He began tending to the Drago, even putting his own sniffles aside for the most part. "Oh? Your paw? Please let me have a look." Claus felt prickles of jealousy at the sight because Lucas had always been good with animals, better than him, Claus thought. It was like he could talk with them, a power Claus envied so much his head hurt. "There there... it was just a splinter. All gone~" Lucas smiled at the baby Drago, but quickly turned to Claus, frowning. "But Claus... don't make me do that again. It hurt, and it was scary!" Claus felt frustrated, ready to yell in protest, but was struck by inspiration.

"Lucas, you just don't get it!" Claus realized he was shouting, and adopted a more important-like tone, perfect for convincing people to listen. "You should have run straight at her, like a man! The difference between men and women isn't just soft skin and smelling nice! It's courage and hard work, and most importantly, not running away!" Claus knew his speech was the awesomest thing ever and would be inspirational for generations to come.

"Um... isn't courage and not running away the same thing?" Lucas inquired.

"Uh.. um.. Never mind that! You're missing the point!"

"And Mommy works very hard..."

"Just shut up and listen to me!" Claus glared daggers at Lucas. He took a deep breath before continuing on again, "no matter how scary something is, or how much it will hurt, or even if adults or people you trust would tell you not to, if it needs to be done, you have to do it! Even if you die trying. That's what men do! Men don't let fears get the best of them. Do you understand Lucas?" Claus looked expectantly at the younger twin. Lucas, looking down, was completely silent.

"I think you're right, Claus!" Lucas beamed, inspired. "I understand, I need to try harder from now on! I think I'll ram the Dragos some more!"

"Great, Lucas, let's do it!" With that, they smiled, and resumed play-fighting.

There is no such thing as not having enough time in the world, Claus thought. He always had enough time for everything. For teasing, for playing, for eating, for adventuring. After ramming the Dragos one thousand sixty-two times and showing Lucas his growing muscles, they'd even had time for resting. They had sat down and talked for a while.

Claus frowned. Lucas was a jerk. He fell asleep before Claus had finished telling him about fending off the crow that took people's nut cookies. Claus glared as he yawned. It was tempting to try and wake Lucas up, or play a trick on him (drawing on his face last time had been really fun) but, it seemed too cruel. Lucas had worked really hard today to not act like a girl. And he had gotten spanked really hard last time he drew on Lucas's face anyway.

"Fine... you can have your nap, you dumb..."

Claus awoke with a jolt as his younger twin snored lightly beside him. The red headed one of the pair looked at the sun as he tried to figure out how long he had been asleep. It probably hadn't been much longer than an hour. Claus stiffened as he heard a noise, but he wasn't sure what it was. Claus gently shook Lucas awake and the sleepy one rubbed at his eyes.

"Lucas, actually awake early in the day!" A voice came from behind Claus.

The twins both screamed. Fists raised, Claus turned to the source of the noise- his grandfather who was now laughing hysterically. Claus pouted at his grandfather who laughed, "oh, I got you two good! Now, did you have a good time playing with the Dragos?" Claus could already tell that his grandfather didn't care about his answer, only Lucas'.

"Oh Grandpa, it was great! Claus and I rammed into them like there was no tomorrow!" It was true they had rammed the Dragos like they'd never get to do this again together, but Claus thought it just felt so silly when Lucas said it

"So you rammed courageously?"

"Oh yes! Claus taught me how to be a man!" Claus was happy to at least get credit now. Yet, by the way his Grandfather laughed, it felt as if Lucas might have well kept it to himself.

"Oh, hahaha! Making him into a man now, Claus? I tip my hat to you. Best of luck with that!" he said, laughing.

"Grr, Grandpa! You'll see!" Claus tried not to pout. To him, it seemed a little unmanly and Lucas-like.

Ignoring Claus's challenging dare, Alec sighed, "It's a shame you guys have to leave later today. It's been a while since I've seen all of you after all."

"It's okay Grandpa! I'll make Lucas tougher, and then Lucas and me can come up and see you all the time! Right Lucas?"

"Right!" Lucas quickly rammed the Mama-Drago several more times.

"Ha ha, I look forward to that! Now, shall we go see what Hinawa has cooking for lunch?" The twins nodded, and they began to go back.

However, they were quickly stopped by a barely audible voice. "Hey! Make way for the great mole cricket! The best mole cricket the world has ever known!" The three of them looked at their feet.

"Do you have sunglasses?" Lucas asked, bewildered.

"What? You got a problem with that! I heard you guys talking about courage and manliness, so I have to test you! Nothing is manlier than I, the great mole cricket!"

"Come on, Lucas, let's take this dumb bug down so we can get some lunch!" Claus yelled, pepped up.

Before the supposedly-great mole cricket could let out another sassy response, he was quickly defeated. "I obviously went easy on you, but I see you guys have more of a spine than I thought. Not bad kiddies, not bad. You have potential. However, I won't train you. You'd just bring me down. Until we meet again... bros." the embarrassed mole cricket stammered out before he scurried out.

CRUNCH! The mole cricket was finished off with a single hit, from none other than the twins mother. "I stepped on a mole cricket. I hope it's all right..." Their mother turned to them with her usual smile. "Lunch is ready, everyone. I made you boys your favorite, Omelets!" Both twins mouths opened in joy, perhaps drooling a bit. Mom's omelets were excellent, so fluffy and cooked to perfection.

"Ooh! Omelets! Omelets!" Claus shouted in joy, a similar sentiment heard from Lucas. "Last one there's a squished mole cricket!", a race formed by Claus' challenge. They left their Mom and Grandpa in the dust, a "Hey, wait for me!" coming from the distance. "Grandpa, you'd better hurry or there won't be any left for you!"

Claus was sure of it. People who said there wasn't enough time in the world were just whiners. He wouldn't spend hours bored half the time if there wasn't enough time. Claus looked at his mother's smiling face as she entered the house. Grandpa or someone had once said there wasn't enough time in the world to waste on regrets. He was obviously wrong, but it's not like Claus had much to regret. Even when he got in trouble, like when he did that water trick Fuel told him about to Lucas, he always got to apologize and was forgiven. There was nothing to regret. How can people regret stuff, Claus thought as he sat at the table.

"What is your favorite food, Mom?" Claus asked eagerly.

"Well, I like a lot of things, but I certainly like omelets most of all."

"So Mommy, you like the same thing as us?" Lucas chimed in.

"Then the three of us make a perfect match!" Claus piped up once again.

Their mother laughed, "now boys, take your time, but after this we need to get ready to leave. You know how long it takes to get through the forest."

"Now Hinawa, I'm sure the boys will be perfectly capable of going through the forest by themselves soon." Their grandfather explained. "Well, as soon as Claus teaches Lucas how to be manly enough to go through without someone needing to hold his hand!"

"W-well, it's dark... and there are weird noises!" Lucas sniffled a bit, clearly thinking about it. Their mother finished, excusing herself outside a moment. Soon after, a weird tune blared for a moment. However, the meal proceeded as normal, no one mentioning it, but it bothered Claus in the back of his head.


	2. Chapter 2: Sunflowers

Smiles. Happy conversations. A roar. A drago. Silver framing sorrow. Lucas runs forward. Mom yanks him back. She smiles. She shoves us off the cliff. A scream that will never never never leave my ears. Blood raining down.

As everything rushed back to him, Claus screeched as he woke up. It took several moments for him to take in the naïve, concerned faces surrounding him. Tessie handed him a cup of tea, but Claus only stared. As he stared at the tea, and finally her, he attempted to form words but no sound came out. Lucas wailed having just woken up, bringing Claus back to the unfortunate reality. The older twin wrapped the blanket around him closer, and scooted towards Lucas. The younger brother buried himself in his older brother's chest as Claus stared at the godless flames.

Though concerned, the villagers gave them their privacy. What could he say? Was there anything to say? Their mother was dead. A cold, hard fact with a scream that still rang in his ears.

"Lucas," he finally managed to say. What he would say beyond that was a mystery to him.

"...why?" Lucas choked out.

Why? Why was the Drago like that? Why did the Drago turn against them? Why is Mom dead? Why is he alive?

"Lucas," he paused to process this next bit of information himself. "That wasn't a Drago. Not anymore," he stated. Lucas only cried harder as Claus hugged him.

"Please don't cry, Lucas." Claus pleaded as he choked back his own tears. Tears for their mother, tears for the betrayal, tears for his broken brother. With his understanding of Dragos, Claus thought, he must be even more damaged from this. "Come on, Lucas, men don't cry... remember?" Claus' voice cracked at his own hypocrisy.

Lucas said nothing, but tried to quiet his tears.

Tessie couldn't stand it any longer and returned to them. "It'll be alright, you two. Flint's on his way, and I'm sure we'll find Hinawa soon!" she said, trying to stroke their backs.

Lucas, who had been doing his best, wailed again, and dove towards Tessie. Tessie hugged the both of them.

"Flint and Duster!" Abbot shouted. "This way!"

Both Claus and Lucas looked up as they heard their father approach. Tessie released them, and moved away.

"Dad!" they cried as they ran into his arms.

"I made some Innit Tea, Flint," Tessie said as she gestured towards a teapot. "Please have some. It'll warm you up." She turned around. "Here, everyone else should take a break and get warm, too."

Claus watched as Lucas finished his tea. Lucas had stopped crying. He simply shivered in silence.

"Here, Lucas. Take mine." Claus handed over his cup.

"A-are you sure? Aren't you cold?"

"No, I'm fine." Claus lied as he watched Lucas smile.

However, that moment ended too, as their father walked towards them.

He tried to ask what happened, even in a far gentler tone than he would normally bother with.

"...Dad... Mommy's... ...Mommy's..."

Claus managed even less than that, and only cursed at whatever cruel god existed. "Dammit... dammit..."

Before their father could try and prod them again, Bronson shouted and ran towards him. The adults shifted towards Bronson, wanting their answer. Claus tried to angle Lucas away from it. From the cold reality.

"Flint..." Bronson took a deep breath. "... I'm not sure what to say... But just stay calm and hear me out."

That had the opposite effect. "Bronson. Just hurry up and tell me." Their father was already losing his calm.

"I have good news, and I have bad news. Which do you want to hear first...?" There was no reply. Bronson hesitated. "No... Let me start with the good news first." Everyone drew closer. Lucas grabbed onto his big brother's hand and Claus squeezed back. "I picked up a giant 'Drago Fang' and it'll make for a great weapon. I figured you could probably use it, Flint." Bronson hesitated once more.

"Bronson. Get straight to the point."

Lucas squeezed Claus' hand as tight as he could. Claus squeezed back.

He prayed to the cruel gods, not to say it. If only for Lucas' sake. He'd break.

But his prayer was not answered. "...The bad news is... …It's where I found the Drago Fang. It was... in your..."

"please... no" Claus mumbled.

"It was pierced through your wife's heart..."

The town stepped back in shock. A thunderstorm began. Their father fell to his knees, pounding the ground.

The shattered boy collapsed onto Claus, sobbing. Claus did not react as tears fell down his face. Completely motionless, he watched his father. Lucas was surely still crying, but Claus could hear nothing.

Bronson said something to their father. He didn't react. Everyone moved closer, even Tessie. Their father swatted her away, and quickly rose to his feet. He attacked the fire, Bronson, Ollie, Abbot. Tessie ran towards the boys, trying to hide the scene from them.

Lighter ended it with a quick strike, as their father hit the ground.

Claus said nothing as Lighter and Bronson picked up their father, likely taking him to Pusher's. Tessie led the twins back to their house in silence. She said nothing as Boney followed them in, joining them in bed. Something their parents had always been annoyed with.

Tessie fell asleep in a chair. Lucas quietly cried himself to sleep, holding a dress of their mother's. Claus memorized every detail about the house. He turned towards Lucas, also smelling the comforting scent of the dress.

"Lucas. Don't worry. I'll fix this. It'll all be over soon, I promise," Claus whispered to him, so quietly, only the darkness heard.

Claus awoke from a dream about his mother. She had been singing a song while stroking their hair. Though she had sung it nearly every day, he could remember very few of the words.

"Mom..."

"Claus, did you say something?" Lucas asked as he stared at a wall while petting Boney. Claus looked around. A few fragments of sunlight entered the house. Tessie was in the kitchen, preparing a meal.

"No."

"Come on boys, it's ready." She smiled at them, though her sorrow showed through. Claus and Lucas approached the table. It was pancakes. Tessie wouldn't have believed how grateful Claus was for this. If it had been omelets...

"It's good, Ms. Tessie. Thank you." Tessie blinked at Claus's surprising politeness.

"Y-yeah, thanks Ms. Tessie."

Tessie smiled. Other than those obligatory words, they ate in silence, dressed in silence, and left in silence. Tessie went back to the Yado Inn. Lucas refused to leave the house, clutching Boney. Claus would have to go to the grave himself. It was probably for the best, he thought.

He headed towards the graveyard, strangely calm. He wasn't surprised his mother's grave was at the cliff. Everyone knew how she loved the Sunflowers in this area. She had called it "Sunflower Cliff". She and Lucas had often hung out there, her legs over the edge as she sewed and sang.

Claus stared at the cliff, remembering a time when even he had come along. He had been resting there, exhausted from chasing Boney, who had been stealing Nut Bread. Lucas had been making flower circlets. He crowned Boney with one, and then smiled at Claus, as he showed him it.

"_No way! This is girly!"_

"_No it's not! Mommy, tell him it's not!"_

Their mother didn't have to say anything. The moment Claus saw Lucas's quivering lip, he knew he had lost the battle. Lucas happily crowned him with daisies.

That couldn't have been more than a couple years ago, and yet, it felt like an eternity.

Claus faced the gravestone. "Mom, don't worry. Lucas is sad right now, but I'll make everything right. I know you wouldn't want me to, but I need to do this. I need to get revenge for all of us. I can't just forget. …..I'll... I'll probably be joining you soon so, please don't be too mad at me." Claus wiped a stray tear away. "I'll be back in a bit, I need to go get Lucas."

Claus sprinted away from the grave, and was surprised to see Lucas by the graveyard gates. He had a small flower in his hand. He met Claus' eyes. His eyes were still red and swollen, but he wasn't crying at that moment.

Lucas slowly went towards the grave on his own. He set the flower down, and tried to smile. But that facade soon shattered.

"Claus, why, why did it have to be like this?" Lucas shivered. "Why would the Drago..." Lucas didn't finish as he began to fall apart again.

Claus didn't know how to mend him. "Lucas. Listen to me. I-I need you to take good care of Dad, okay?" Lucas looked up, a few tears escaping his wide blue eyes.

"Claus, you're going to fight the Drago, aren't you?"

Claus gave a bitter smile. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?" Claus explained his likely suicidal plan.

"But that's too dangerous!"

"I know. But I have to, you know? I **need** to avenge Mom. That's why you need to take good care of Dad. He needs someone right now.

Lucas said nothing.

"Lucas..."

"...I want to come too."

"What? No! You can't! Got it!" Claus tried to stare him down, but Lucas met the stare. It was clear he had already made up his mind.

"I need to do this too. We both need to." Claus weakened. It would be a comfort for Lucas to come too, but no! He couldn't!

"Lucas, promise me you won't go! Only one of us needs to throw away his life!"

"I can't make that promise!"

Claus glared. "You have to. You'd be useless, Lucas. Could you really fight the Drago?"

Lucas said nothing.

"Would you try to reason with it again? What was it you told it again, to 'calm down and remember us'?"

Lucas said nothing.

"That's not a Drago. It's a monster that won't listen to reason. You'd be a burden. I wouldn't have time to protect you."

"I wouldn't need protection." Lucas continued to stare at him after his brave statement, with cold blue eyes frozen with resolution.

"Listen, you can't come. But I'll make you a deal. First, we gotta break Dad out of jail, but after that, you can walk me to the mountain. But after that you have to turn back, got it?"

Lucas said nothing for a while. "No. It's fine. I'll stay here with Mommy. I don't want to leave her alone."

"I got it. After I break Dad out, I'll come see you before I leave."

"See you then. Bye bye."

Lucas quietly watched as Claus left.

Claus would need an apple. "Hey, Ms. Caroline! Do you have any apples?" he yelled into Caroline's window.

Caroline opened the window, surprised. "Claus? You're not here for nut bread or cookies?"

"Nah! I want an apple today!" Caroline giggled.

"Fine, fine. Just be more polite next time." She handed him an apple.

"Thanks," he yelled as he ran towards the jail house.

He stopped near Reggie's tent. It took several minutes, but Claus finally hid the file in the core.

He walked closer to the jail. He knew his father would get the hint quick. Maybe he should have gotten the knife first. No, he thought, Dad isn't stupid. He would notice if he had the knife. He ran into the jail, zooming past Duster.

"Hi Dad." His father turned towards him.

"What are you doing here, Claus?"

"I wanted Lucas to come too, but he's still crying by Mom's grave." He set the apple in the jail window. "I thought you might be hungry. I know the core's tough, but eat it. Eat the core, it's full of nutrients." He started to walk out of the jail before he stopped. "Dad... I'm going to get stronger okay? So strong that even Dragos won't stand a chance!" He quickly left.

"Claus, what's the big hurry?" Duster asked, not having moved an inch.

"Oh, I just want to get back to Mom's grave, Duster. Lucas needs me and all." He sprinted away.

Before he knew it, he had his father's knife in his pocket. It was probably noticeable, but no one would say anything. He waded through the crowd. "Lucas! It's time to-" he stopped. Lucas was nowhere to be found. Claus bit his lip. It couldn't be. He thought back. A kitchen knife had been missing, but he had thought Tessie had been using it for something. Surely Lucas wouldn't have...

He looked around, spotting Fuel nearby. He yanked Fuel away, and whispered, "Fuel, have you seen Lucas?"

"Claus, what are you so freaked out about? I last saw Lucas heading towards the forest. I asked what he was doing, but he just smiled and walked faster." Fuel shrugged. "I figured he was doing some dare of yours."

"Oh. Yeah. You're right! I didn't think it'd take him this long to beat up a snake! Sorry, I gotta go!" Claus turned away.

"Can I come?" Fuel shouted.

Claus ignored him and walked faster.

"Claus? Is something the matter? Where's Lucas?" Claus stiffened at his grandfather's voice.

"Nothing, Grandpa!" Claus let out a stupid nervous giggle. "I wanted to play with Lucas in the forest, bye!"

Claus dashed towards the forest. Why didn't Lucas listen!

"_No matter how scary something is, or how much it will hurt, or even if adults or people you trust tell you not to, if it needs to be done, you have to do it! Even if you die trying. That's what men do! Men don't let fears get the best of them. Do you understand Lucas?" Claus looked expectantly at the younger twin. Lucas, looking down, was completely silent._

Oh no, he thought. It was his own damn fault. Claus ran faster, looking around, screaming. "Lucas! Lucas, can you hear me?" Claus tripped over a Yammonster, wincing at his ankle. He sliced and stabbed it, until it was long dead. Claus looked at his own ankle, swelling already. A sprained ankle was the last thing he needed. "Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit!" he shouted over and over and stabbed the ground. The knife broke. "Dammit.. dammit... dammit.. dammit, why Lucas, DAMMIT WHY?" He screamed at the sky as tears poured down his face.

"Claus?" Dammit, that voice, Claus thought. His father really had gotten the message when he talked about the apple. That hadn't taken long at all.

"Dad, what are you doing here?"

"Because I noticed you were acting weird, Claus. I thought you were better at lying than that." His grandfather stared at him.

His father crouched down and stared Claus right in the eyes. "Claus, why do you have my knife?" his father asked, in almost terrifying tones. Claus looked down at the knife handle he stupidly still had in his hand, the blade beside him. "Claus. Tell me what's going on. Right now."

"I-I-I was going to kill the Drago. But Lucas..."

"How did you think you were gonna kill it with a cruddy knife!" His grandfather shouted at him. "Now, what about Lucas?"

Claus bit his lip. "I think he went ahead of me. I told him to stay behind but.. he must not have listened. I think he ran off while I was getting you that apple, Dad..." Claus wanted to cry at his father's feet, apologizing for everything, but no words felt right.

"...Lucas..."

"Now, Flint, I know you want to run off.. but we need to prepare. Lucas has always been slow. He can't be that far ahead. Go to Bronson's, and get the Drago fang. I'll go on ahead."

"...Alec, you're right. Thanks." Claus's father looked at Claus's ankle as the older man went towards his house. He almost immediately grabbed hold of Claus, carrying him piggyback, like all those times when he was younger, before he realized it was childish and dumb.

Claus didn't really mind it, but he couldn't take comfort in it. His father said nothing.

Guilt drowned him, as he thought about all the ways this could have been different. Maybe if he had told Lucas to come along, it would have been all right. Claus shivered. Lucas is alive... isn't he?

His father immediately headed for the Yado Inn. People must have already known Lucas was missing, since Tessie seemed to be trying to keep Lighter from running off to help.

"You're injured, Lighter, you can't run off!"

"I'm not injured! I'm perfectly fine! Don't you have anything to do besides keep me in bed!"

"Tessie. Lighter. Please keep an eye on Claus. He seems to have sprained his ankle." Claus was lifted off his father's shoulders by Lighter, who then handed a manly bandanna to Claus' father.

"Dad, please! Let me go with you!"

His father glanced gratefully at Tessie and Lighter before he turned to the door and left.

Lighter set Claus on a bed. "Mr. Lighter, I'm not that injured. You don't have to carry me around. It's just my ankle! Please, let me leave!"

"Can't do that. I owe Flint. You have to stay here."

"Claus, please let me see your ankle." Claus gave up resisting. He knew that he couldn't help, and if he went he would only get in the way. While Tessie treated him, he thought about how much his father hated him. Not that he could blame him, he thought. He knew it was his own fault.

When it became dark, they finally, **finally** let him go home. He had to swear on Boney that he wouldn't sneak away. It was too late to leave anyway. He sat with Boney, petting him. Boney licked his face and whimpered, seemingly saying something like: "Please cheer up, Claus". Not that he would know. Lucas would have.

"Claus, are you all right?" Claus looked up. It was Duster. "I just wanted to see if you were all right."

"I'm as fine as I can be, Duster. I can't fall asleep though, so, I'm just waiting for my Dad to get back, you know?"

"Yeah, I can understand that." Duster put a hand on Claus' shoulder. "If, uh, you ever need to talk, I'm here for you."

"Thanks. You look busy though. I don't want to keep you. Maybe another day." Duster nodded.

"Well, see you later then, Claus." Duster soon left.

Claus awoke to footsteps. He must have fallen asleep on Boney sometime earlier. He scrambled to get up. "D-dad! Did you find Lu-" The answer was clear from their faces. His father went inside without saying a word. His grandfather sat down with him.

It didn't need to be said. "We... didn't find Lucas. But I'm sure.."

"Grandpa, just tell me the truth."

His grandfather swallowed. "All right. We found Lucas's shoes, and one of his shirt sleeves, in less than decent condition." Claus stiffened. "Honestly, I think Lucas is probably... dead. However, Flint refuses to give up hope. And I can't bear to convince him otherwise." Claus couldn't stop the tears from rushing down his face."I'm really sorry, Claus. Now, come inside, why don't you?"

"Could I just sleep out here with Boney?" His grandfather looked like he wanted to protest.

"Yeah. Go ahead. Good night, Claus."

"Good night."


	3. Chapter 3: Dragos

A/N: Yeah, I'm sort of back. I actually wrote this a year ago and never put it up, but thanks to Curi bothering me about updating I have. I even rewrote the previous chapters. They're far better written than before, so check them out. I'll likely write an update soon, but no promises.

o

Claus looked around, unsure of where he was. It was dark, and cold.

"You've never really liked the dark have you, Claus?" a voice came from behind him. Claus spun around staring at a bitter figure that looked impossibly familiar.

"L-Lucas! No, it can't be."

"You're scared, aren't you? Scared of the dark, like a baby." Lucas sneered.

"Of course not! I'm not a coward!"

"You've always liked thinking that, haven't you?" Lucas' eyes narrowed. "I'm a coward, huh? You were scared of tons of stuff too, you were just better at hiding it. Though I think I'd rather be honest than be a lying **coward**."

"Shut **up!** I don't know what the hell you think you are, but you aren't my brother!"

"I guess you're right. At this point, it's probably more like looking into a mirror-" Claus punched him. Lucas didn't react. "That's all you can do, isn't it? You weren't content with killing me, so now you're hurting me some more?"

Claus froze. "I... I..."

"It's not that hard to say, Claus. 'I killed you'. Just three simple words." Lucas slapped him. Claus touched his cheek in shock. "Admitting it is the least you could do."

"But I, I didn't mean to!" Claus sank to the ground. "You weren't supposed to die. It was an accident." he quietly said.

Lucas gave a sharp kick to the stomach. Claus coughed. Lucas laughed. "'An accident'? Again with the excuses. Yes, you killed me with carelessness, but is that any better than killing me with a knife?" He glared at Claus. "Where's your excuse for Mommy, huh? Mommy is dead, and that's your fault too!" Lucas cried as he screamed. "You didn't do anything! I at least tried! You let Mommy die! You killed her!" He choked Claus. "Give her back! Give her back!" he yelled as he banged Claus head against the ground. "What do you have to say for yourself, you murderer! Why did you kill Mommy? Why did you kill me? Who will you kill next, Dad, Boney?"

Claus made strangled breaths. Lucas stopped choking him. All Claus did was cough. "I..." he coughed out.

"I could kill you now," Lucas said, the Drago of the Past appearing behind him, walking toward Claus. "have him eat you like he did me. I want to watch."

"I'm sorry..." Claus began crying. "It.. it should have been me..." Lucas watched silently, as the Drago walked closer to Claus, a smile appearing on his face as the beast's mouth opened. Claus could smell the Drago's breath, reeking of blood. Before the mouth closed on him, he thought he saw more Dragos appear.

o o o

Claus awoke with a jolt, immediately covering his mouth. He made a desperate dash for the toilet, purging the remains of his dream. As he calmed down and cleaned his mouth, he muttered, "it should have been me." He looked around in a daze, registering his surroundings, perplexed as to why he was inside. He saw a note on the counter that had his father's usual chicken-scratch: _Out looking for Lucas. _Claus bit his lip.

His thoughts were interrupted by a whining from outside. Claus quickly went to visit Boney, who must have been worried sick. Boney let out a whine, which Claus instinctively thought was "(Claus, are you alright? You disappeared during the night, so I was worried.)" Claus bent down to pet Boney, causing his dog to lick his face.

In spite of everything, Claus smiled. "Shh, Boney, here, I'll bring you inside. Just don't tell, okay?", laughing as he picked up Boney's bowl. He reopened the door, trying not to wonder why the knob was so different now, and brought Boney in.

Another whine. ("Are you sure this is alright? Flint doesn't like me in the house, and he knew I came in last time.")

"It's fine, Boney, don't worry!" Claus found some leftovers. "Here, you deserve a special treat! Let's see, some jerky, oh, how about some nut bread? It's slightly dry, but it's still good." he said aloud as he stirred up the dog food. "Here, enjoy!" he said, setting it down and taking a seat near him. Boney digging in immediately. Claus stared at him as he ate. "Say, Boney... Mom... Mommy and Lucas are... well, actually, I think you know. You're not dumb. You're smart, so much smarter than me." Claus failed to notice he was crying. "You would have saved them, wouldn't you have, Boney?" Before Claus realized it, he was full on crying, worse than he had ever seen Lucas do. Boney came over, licking his face and whining. Claus wrapped his arms around him, sobbing hysterically, as Boney said nothing. After what seemed like an eternity, he was able to loosen his grip on the dog. "Boney, am I a coward?" Boney said nothing, only licking Claus. "I am, aren't I? Lucas was right. And I can't be a coward anymore! I have to face my fears. Lucas was able to. He would make peace with the others." Claus stroked Boney, resolute in his decision.

o o o

Claus entered the town square, noticing a bit of a crowd.

"Come, one and all, fair denizens of Tazmily!" a voice shouted. Claus headed towards it for a closer look. "I've come here today to give you all wonderful news... about happiness!" He took a look at the source of noise, a strange man he had never seen and his monkey. Curious, Claus stayed a moment. "Isn't it in human nature to want to be happy?" the man said.

Claus frowned, tightening his fists. What do you know about happiness, Claus bitterly thought. He began walking away.

"You there! Little boy, are you saying you don't want happiness?" The man shouted after him. He stopped and turned towards him. "You can obtain happiness very easily, you know. I can see your tear-streaked face crying out for help."

Claus ran out of patience. "Shut up! I-I wasn't crying! Besides, what do you know about me or happiness, anyway! I don't want you telling me how easy it is to be happy!"

"Sir, his mother died a couple days ago. We haven't seen his brother either, so please understand..." Abbey explained.

"Ahhh, I think someone at the Yado may have told me about you." The man walked towards Claus and put an arm on his shoulder. "Your mother was attacked by one of those bloodthirsty Dragos. I feel for you. However, your mother would want you to have happiness. Do you really want to disappoint her by turning it down?"

"Don't tell me what my mother wanted! And Dragos aren't bloodthirsty! That one was just... odd."

"It's in a mother's nature to want her child to be happy. I think everyone can agree with that. And I know how you must feel, but times are changing. You can't trust what was once common sense. That is why I have come here to save this village." The man hugged Claus, who stiffened in response. "I know you may feel reluctant, even scared to go after the happiness you have so easily rejected, but one day, you will understand that you want to be happy. When that time comes, find me, Fassad, and I will give you the happiness you seek." Fassad let go of Claus and went back to his audience.

Claus was disgusted. "I'm... I'm going to visit the dragos, and I'm going to come back! That'll be proof they aren't bloodthirsty! You'll see!" he shouted, but no one paid him even a glance. He dashed off.

Claus sprinted towards his grandfather's house, hardly taking in the surroundings. When he got there, he quickly came to a stop. Please let the Dragos be here, he thought, I don't know how to get to Drago Plateau, and I'm certainly not going back to ask Mapson.

He heard a baby Drago and smiled, dashing to the area. However, as he got there, he saw that the baby Drago was miserable. The father Drago seemed to be at a loss for comforting it. Claus approached the baby, stroking its head. "Hey... I know how you feel. I lost my Mommy too." He hugged it, trying not to cry. "We'll get through this, together, okay?" Claus paused. "We never did name you, did we?"

Throughout their childhood, they had been naming the Dragos like they named all their sheep and their grandfather's animals. It was the best way to make them part of the family. The last time their father had been up here- how long ago was that?- he had named the father Drago.

"_Boris!" _The twins had said.

Their father had pulled his hat down a bit to hide his embarrassment. _"What, it's a fine name. You two asked me to name him, don't go criticizing my choice."_ He looked at Claus. "_If you two hadn't been twins, I would have suggested that as your name." _Now it was Claus' turn to be get embarrassed as Lucas giggled a bit.

Their mother giggled and readjusted his hat, kissing him. _"Boris is a fine name for him, but you may not want to tell them your names for the first few animals we had." _she teased. Both kids started hounding their father for answers, as he blushed.

"_What, and calling the mother Lilly is better? What's wrong with Boris?" _he protested.

She stuck her tongue out. _"She's a girl, so naming her after a flower is just fine. Now, did you want to put down my naming ideas more or did you actually __**want**__ me to make omelets tonight?" _Everyone, even their father laughed, realizing that she was the obvious winner.

Claus thought some more, thinking about when he and Lucas first saw the other baby Drago.

_"Hm, how about Molly for that one?"_ Lucas had said, pointing at the newborn baby Drago.

_"Molly? What kind of name is that, Lucas?" _Claus had folded his arms. _"It's so girly!"_

Lucas had pouted, ready to defend his decision for once. _"It's a girl! It should be girly! Besides, you get to name the other Drago baby when it's born, so let me name this one without complaining! We had a deal, Claus! It's Molly!"_

_ "Fine, fine."_ Claus had shaken his head. _"That one can be Molly."_

Claus sighed. "At least it's me naming you," he said,"You need a super distinguished name to grow into! So, Leonard! But for now, you can be Lenny." he said, smiling.

The baby Drago let out a happy cry and licked him. Claus laughed.

He played with the Dragos, letting the day flow away. A weird noise booming through the island brought him back to reality. When had the day turned to night, he wondered. The noise boomed again, this time Claus was able to detect it came from the forest.

"What's going on? Dammit, I should be down there helping but... it'll take forever to get there!" He quickly looked at the father Drago as an idea formed. He went over to it. "Please, you know what I want, right?" The Drago searched his eyes, understanding. It crouched down and Claus got on. "Lenny," he said, looking at the baby Drago, "will you stay here?"

The baby Drago shook its head in reply, and started down the mountain. Claus quickly wrapped his arms around the father Drago's neck before he took off jumping down the mountain. Claus enjoyed the ride as he hung on for dear life. The father Drago soon stopped inside the forest, and Claus released his grip. He saw the baby Drago playfully hop and tumble towards them. He went on ahead, Claus and the father following close behind.

Soon, Claus could make out the scene of the earlier noise. Old man Wess, a monkey, and some pink-haired guy were backing away slowly from Fassad and his strange machines. Fassad was clearly hostile this time. "Will you behave and do as we say?"

"Why don't you bite me!" The pink-haired man challenged. "I'd rather die!"

"Then I suppose that is your choice." Fassad said. Finally, he spotted the approaching baby Drago. "Oh my pork!" he exclaimed. "What's a baby Drago doing here? You! Baby Drago! Get outta here!" he shouted.

Claus and the Drago moved forward. "Leave them alone!" he shouted. "I don't know what you're trying to do to this village, but it won't work! I won't allow it!"

Fassad laughed. "You're trying in vain, boy! Several villagers have already opened themselves to happiness, and soon many more will follow, I can guarantee it! You're on the losing side, even if you stop me for now, you will lose the battle to time!"

Claus spat and tapped the father Drago, sending it into action. The father Drago immediately dashed towards Fassad, and jumped to intimidate. This sent Claus falling off, a squeak of surprise escaping. Wess rushed towards Claus, shaking him.

"Claus!"

The dazed Claus finally let out a sophisticated answer, "Agh... my butt is killing me..."

"Don't! Please!" The father Drago pitched Fassad with his mouth, and soon took care of his machines. Claus dusted himself off and went to rub the father Drago in gratitude.

"Claus." Wess said. Claus turned towards him. "I see you're doing well now. I heard about the chaos after your mother died. I'm sure people have told you before that you're a trouble maker, but that was wonderful. I've never seen someone command Dragos like that before."

Claus didn't reply, thinking about Lucas.

"Claus, you saved our lives. Thank you." Wess said.

The pink-haired boy came towards him, the monkey following behind. Claus took a closer look at the pink-haired boy, wanting to slap himself at the realization that he's a girl. "Oh, yeah. Gotta say hi. Uh, nice to meetcha! And thanks, seriously. I'm not sure how much you know about what just went on, but you showed up in the nick of time!"

Claus scratched his head. " I just knew something was up. I mean, I met that Fassad guy before, and he just made me want to punch him!"

The girl laughed. "I know what you mean!" She said, extending a hand. "I'm Kumatora."

"Claus." he said, returning it.

"Nice to meet'cha, Claus. You want to know what's going on, right?"

"Definitely."

"Let's not stick around."

"Oh, we can go to my house. I can probably make us some grub." Claus volunteered.

Claus set down some drinks and sandwiches. He looked at the monkey a moment. What the heck do monkeys eat, he thought. He sighed and gave it a sandwich. He sat down with the others.

Kumatora frowned a moment, thinking. "Where to start... ugh. Hey geezer, think you can help me with this? I'm no good at this stuff."

"Certainly. If you don't mind, Claus, I want you to tell us about the incident. I fear it may be related to all of this."

"Well... Mom was attacked by this mother Drago, except she was all weird and metally. She didn't act normal at all."

"Metal... I see. I think that moron may have said something about an odd-looking Caribou when he and Flint went to search for you guys."

"And Lucas went after it the next day... So he's de-" Claus swallowed. "He's missing. And Dad's not in the best of states right now... he's out searching for Lucas right now."

"I see..." Wess said, understanding the meaning. "When Duster and I came back to Osohe castle, there were those pig-masked guys and some weird clay monster."

Kumatora bit into a sandwich, chewing with her mouth open. "I see. Well, Claus, you met that bastard earlier right?"

"Yeah."

"Well he started giving away these weird boxes to people. Three boxes I think. Dunno nothing about about them, but it certainly can't be good."

"He already knew you were the princess too. Most of the villagers seem unaware of that fact." Wess said. Claus looked puzzled. "He's definitely done his research."

"But how do we stop him?" Kumatora asked. "He's right though, if he really does have something up his sleeve, we will lose the battle to time. I mean yeah, most of the villagers thought he was full of crap, but they definitely think he's harmless. People won't listen to a crazy old geezer, some kid and someone like me. If we could get someone influential, like that Flint guy to tell 'em to not listen to him..."

"It won't work, Princess. It is true, everyone respects Flint, but if he stays in a state like Claus says, he won't work either. The only thing we can do is stop that Fassad guy immediately, before he gets the village completely in his grasp. But I fear that won't be easy, not if he has a whole army with him."

They thought silently a few minutes. Finally, Kumatora spoke up. "I've got it. We have to wait for our moment to strike. We need the perfect moment to even have a chance. But that might not happen. Either way, we need to keep an eye on things. Claus, you have to stay here, watch things as closely as you can. " She looked away. "I'm sure that Lucas kid will come back soon."

"Yes," Wess said. "He surely will. Claus, you need to make sure your father understands what's going on. We need you and him, and all the allies we can get."

"I understand."

"I'll do what I can, but I fear that's limited."

"Don't be so hard on yourself geezer! Do what you can in the village! You're a powerhouse when your back doesn't hurt!" She said, putting a shoulder on him. "I'll take up the search for Duster. I'll work at it as long as I need to. I'll get the monkey to a safe place too." Kumatora got up. "Come on, monkey." She looked at them. "Let's meet again as soon as we can. Take care of yourselves!"


	4. Chapter 4: The Two Loneliest People

Chapter 4- The Two Loneliest People

A/N: This marks the beginning of at least several chapters taking place between Chapter 3 and 4. I took more liberties here and made some minor characters a bit more important.

It had only been five months, but Claus could see the villagers had changed. Time changes everyone- he'd changed too, but it was somehow different now. It bothered him in the pits of his stomach, but he sighed and tried to push that thought out of his mind as he prepared breakfast- cheese on bread. Hardly elegant, but it would get the job done.

_"But Mooooom! I hate cheese!" Claus __whined as he __shoved the ham and cheese sandwich away. Normally, his mother got the message quickly and sighed and removed the cheese__.__ She __would usually __say something like how she hoped he'd eat a little this time, but instead, she held firm._

_"No way. Cheese is good for you. There isn't even that much." She frowned a minute until a thought came to mind. "You know, your father likes cheese."_

_"So? Dad likes lots of yucky stuff. Like when the sheep reek."_

_His mother rolled her eyes and __stated,__ "Fine, then. You can stay here until it's eaten." __And__ walked outside._

_Lucas was snacking away at his third sandwich- with extra cheese. __He looked over at Claus and asked,__ "What's wrong, Claus? It's good."_

_"No it's not! It sucks!"_

_Lucas' hand clapped over Claus' mouth as he looked around in terror __and whispered, __"Claus, don't say that! Mommy will get mad if you use bad words!"_

_Claus yanked Lucas' hand off __and grumbled,__ "Lucas, you gotta help me get rid of this!"_

_Lucas fretted__,__ "But Mom ALWAYS knows when you throw away the cheese!"_

_"Well I can't just eat this horrible thing! Ugh, if only Boney could come in. Why does Mom have to be so mean?"_

_"Claus, she's not trying to be mean__,__" Lucas __stated and__ looked into Claus' eyes. "You know, Mommy doesn't like cheese either. I've seen her put it in other things before, but that's about it. She hates cheese straight."_

_Claus blinked and asked__,__ "Then why is she making me eat it?"_

_"She said she wants you to learn to eat a little bit of things you don't like. Plus, since you hate cheese even more than her, she can't put it in anything else. She says it's part of growing up."_

_Claus frowned and looked at the sandwich. _

_"If growing up means I have to eat cheese, then I'll stay a kid forever."_

_Lucas looked around __before asking,__ "She just said the cheese needs to be eaten right?"_

_"Lucas?"_

_Lucas pried apart Claus' sandwich and took the thin slice of cheese. He smiled at his brother __and said, __"We're only five. I think we have plenty of time to grow up."_

It took Claus several moments to realize tears were welling up. He shook his head and wolfed down the cheese and bread.

"This is still the worst thing I have ever tasted."

After washing down the wretched cheese with some fresh milk, Claus glanced at the calendar. They had decided about six months back that they would all go fishing. He, Flint, Fuel, Lighter, and even Lucas. It was obvious that wasn't happening now. He'd kill for just a simple fishing trip with Flint, but that was a day that would never come again. It's not like Flint would even remember anyway.

But still, he wanted to go, even if it was alone; Lucas would want him to. He decided soon after Lucas died that he would live for both of them.

He glanced at the two pillows side-by-side and bit his lip as he left.

o o o

As he approached the seacliff with Boney, he saw a chubby blonde girl staring at the ocean. Claus walked towards her.

"Hello?"

She turned towards him, a bit of a frown on her face. She couldn't have been more than a couple years older than him. "Oh. Claus. I'm sorry for your loss."

It was Claus' turn to frown as he asked, "Who are you?"

She turned back towards the ocean. "We've met before, a long time ago. It's no surprise you don't remember. I'm Nana, I love the ocean."

Claus set down his fishing supplies and walked towards her. She definitely seemed familiar, but, he was drawing a blank as to why.

"So, do you stare at the ocean all day?"

She shrugged and replied, "Yeah, I mostly stare at the ocean and think a lot. I go into town once in a while." She turned towards him. "Did you know there's this island of nightmares across the sea, Tanetane Island?"

"What? No way. How would you even know that anyway?"

Nana looked bewildered for a moment. She then answered, "...I don't know. I just do." She sat down and hugged her knees. "It's okay if you think I'm a liar. Everyone does."

Claus sat next to her, and Boney laid down next to her.

"I don't care if you're a liar or not. The things you have to say are pretty interesting. Tell me more about Tanehineri Island."

"Tanetane Island."

"Whatever."

She scratched at Boney's head, curious of the way his fur felt. As her eyes glimmered, she continued the conversation.

"There are cruel purple mushrooms that cause only sorrow, yet they are the most integral thing there. There are dragonflies, a shell house, and an octopus wearing a hat." She laughed. "Silly sounding, isn't it?"

"Of course it sounds silly. Tell me more."

"There's a stick of gold wrenched into the ground, totally immoveable."

"What's it do?"

Nana frowned and answered, "I don't know. I don't know anything else about the island, either."

"...You suck at telling stories."

"I know."

As Claus got up to grab his fishing gear, he stated,"I'm going to make you practice." He returned to the cliff edge. "Tell me more stories, just don't scare away the fish with them."

"Did old man Wess ever tell you about the royalty of Osohe Castle?"

"Uh... he said something about King Osohe and Queen Senaka. But he talks a lot about Princess Kumatora. I met her once. I thought she was a dude!"

Nana laughed. "It's just that, Osohe's weird. All the books inside are empty and I don't remember a King Osohe or a Queen Senaka. Even Leder doesn't remember them."

"Wait, Leder? Leder talks?"

"Crap." Nana turned towards him. "Please forget I ever said that. He made me promise not to tell."

"No way. But wow, he really talks. I tried to talk to him all the time and he never said anything!" Claus was yelling at this point, and it was obvious it wouldn't be Nana's fault if the fish disappeared.

"Leder talks. It's just a matter of listening. Even if he doesn't want you to hear it. He doesn't ever tell me the things I want to know though. He won't tell me why no one's families look alike."

"What? Lucas and I look alike!"

Nana frowned and explained, "That's not what I meant. Not the kids, the older generation. Your mother and Mr. Alec, that sort of thing."

Claus thought a moment about this.

"That is weird. What's it mean?"

"I don't know."

Claus smiled and yanked his fishing pole out of the water to set on the ground.

"Maybe Leder does know. Maybe he just needs more people to bother him!"

"What?" Nana squeaked. "Claus, please no!"

Claus started running. As he got a head start he shouted, "If you don't want me to talk to him, you'd better chase me!"

"What? No!" Nana sprinted after him.

Nana's stamina was long gone by the time they had run through town. She slowly caught up to Claus who was just standing there.

"Claus," she panted, "you'd better not..."

"...Hey. Where's Leder?"

"What?" Nana asked and looked up.

There was no one by the bell tower.

"Oh, no," Nana whispered in shock and fell to the ground.

"H-Hey, cheer up! I'm sure he's around here somewhere. Maybe he went to get a bite to eat!"

"Idiot! We'd have seen him if he had done that! Leder's... Leder's gone. I don't know what this means.. but.." Nana started crying.

Claus was really at a loss. With Lucas, most of the time he would just tell him to buck up and stop acting like a girl. But Nana_ was _a girl!

Claus walked towards her and pleaded, "C-come on, please stop crying."

Nana instead dove into Claus' chest.

His face burnt up. "Come on stop! This is seriously embarrassing!" If Fuel saw, he'd never hear the end of it.

"Leder's gone! Something bad is happening!"

Claus gave up, and did what he sometimes did with Lucas. It sucked that Nana was a girl, but it would suck more if his shirt got entirely covered in tears. He sighed and hugged her.


End file.
